North Bay, ON – With their playoff hopes dependent on a win, the Mustangs came out determined and took home a 3-2 victory over Nipissing on Sunday.
After Saturday’s 3-1 loss to NIpssing, the Mustangs needed to come away with a win today to secure a playoff berth and take the final eighth seed. They managed to do just that in a five-set thriller. Western won the first and fourth sets 25-22 and 25-23, while they dropped the second and third 25-23 and 29-27. They took the fifth set 15-11 to secure the win.
Josh Thorson led the ‘Stangs with 14 kills and 1 ace, while Blake Fenwick and Jonah Millard followed with 12 and 11 kills respectively.
Jonah Millard gave the ‘Stangs their first lead of the game at 2-1 early on in the opening set. Western continued to pile on the points, as they sat ahead by four at 11-7 off of a Blake Fenwick kill.
Aces moments later from Fenwick and Josh Thorson put the Mustangs in the driver’s seat at 21-16, however the hosts took the next four points consecutively to keep it close. The purple and white managed to secure the set 25-22 off of a Nipissing service error.
Two kills from Millard kick-started the second set for Western, as the team’s exchanged points. However it was the visitors who doubled up on the Mustangs at 10-5 and didn’t let it go.
A Thorson block and Fenwick kill brought Western within four at 11-7, as they clawed back eventually coming within one point at 19-18 from a Josiah Esau and Fenwick block.
Unfortunately, the purple and white couldn’t come back and eventually dropped the set 25-23.
Kills from Thorson and Fenwick kept things tied early on in the third set as the two sides went point for point to start.
The Mustangs found a lead at 12-8, but two aces from Nipissing helped them to claw back within one, before tying things up again at 15.
The set remained closely contested, as the team’s found themselves tied at 25. With Nipissing on set point, Thorson then evened things up at 26 again. The hosts would ultimately take the set 29-27 over Western.
Fighting hard with their season on the line, the Mustangs went point for point with the Lakers as neither side could run away with the set.
While the Lakers found a slight lead at 18-14, kills from Kendall Homenick alongside some big blocks from the purple and white had things tied at 20, while another block gave them the lead moments later.
A Thorson kill gave the ‘Stangs set point, which a block finished off as the Mustangs forced a fifth set at 25-23.
Thorson and Millard started things off strong in the fifth set for Western, as they turned an early lead to an 8-3 gap.
The Lakers fought back, but Western showed their determination and resiliency, eventually claiming the decider 15-11 off of a Millard kill to officially clinch their post-season berth.
Western finishes the season with a 10-10 record, while Nipissing falls to 11-9. The Mustangs will now look to the playoffs, with more details to follow.
Stay posted at westernmustangs.ca for playoff details to come.
This article is shared as part of our Fair Dealing Policy. For the original article, please visit: https://westernmustangs.ca/news/2023/2/19/mens-volleyball-mustangs-secure-playoff-berth-with-3-2-win-over-lakers.aspx
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